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The Los Angeles Police department has released body cam footage that captured 19-year-old Luis Herrera being fatally shot by police officers. The incident took place on September 17, 2022, after they found him wielding a weapon that turned out to be an airsoft rifle.
The video was released in the interest of lending transparency to an ongoing investigation. The clip revealed the tragic sequence of events that led to the death of Luis Herrera in South Los Angeles.
According to authorities, officers responded to a 911 call by Luis Herrera detailing a domestic violence incident at his home. When officers arrived at the scene, they found Herrera brandishing a weapon that bore an uncanny resemblance to a rifle.
The officers then repositioned themselves and warned Herrera to put down the weapon. The teen did not heed the warning and was fatally shot in front of his house. The officers later determined that the "weapon" was an airsoft rifle.
Watch the moment officers arrive at the house and Luis Herrera walks out with a rifle.
A video released by the LAPD showed two officers responding to a domestic violence incident in the area of 102nd and Grand Street. In the clip, the officers walk up to the house as Luis Herrera comes out holding a rifle. The police then run for cover while warning the teen to put down the weapon. They can be heard saying:
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Put that down!"
Warning: The following video may contain graphic content. Viewer discretion is advised
In the video, Luis Herrera is still seen holding the weapon as the officers shoot him multiple times before he falls to the ground. While narrating the video, LAPD Cpt. Kelly Muniz said officers issued multiple warnings to drop the weapon, but Herrera refused to comply and pointed the weapon directly at the officers, who then shot him.
After Herrera is shot, the video reveals a distraught mother wailing at the officers. When she discovers her son writing on the ground, she repeatedly yells, "My son!"
In the clip, Herrera's father tries to get close to his son after he is shot by the officers. He is warned to steer clear of the body as Herrera was still holding on to the weapon that the police deemed to be an assault rifle. Herrera's father then tries to allay the officers' fears by telling them that the weapon is a toy.
Herrera was declared dead by paramedics at the scene.
Officials say Luis Herrera misled authorities in the 911 call
The incident unraveled when Herrera made a call to the police alleging that his father had struck his mother. But further inquiries revealed that authorities found no evidence to lend credibility to the allegations, police said in a statement.
The officers involved in the incident were placed on administrative leave. The Los Angeles Police Department said the investigation will be reviewed by the Chief of Police, the Board of Police Commissioners, and the Office of the Inspector General to determine if the actions of the officers complied with official procedures.
